A cognitive intervention to correct a maladaptive technique in organists due to prior music learning: a randomized controlled trial

Organists who start as skilled pianists may later maladapt their keyboard technique to play the organ. This randomized controlled study investigated the feasibility of using an audio cognitive intervention to correct organists’ playing technique. Forty participants played a music excerpt with two dynamics (soft/loud) on two musical instruments (organ/piano) at baseline, while their corresponding forearm muscle activities were measured by surface electromyography (sEMG). They also rated their playing force. Participants were then randomized to receive either a 5-min audio cognitive intervention (learning to use self-talk phrases “organists—stops/ expression pedals—minimal force” to reduce their tension in playing the organ; n = 21) or a control audio recording (instructing them to rest for 5 min; n = 19). All participants then repeated the two dynamics on the two musical instruments. The intervention group displayed significantly lower forearm sEMG muscle activity during organ playing, whereas the controls’ playing was unchanged. Our study shows that organists use unnecessary muscle tension to produce dynamics and that our intervention was effective and could improve motor control in playing the organ. Self-talk is therefore a viable way for music educators to help learners correct habitual but maladaptive techniques arising from prior learning.